FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the Undergraduate Research Conference

Can I submit more than one abstract?

Yes! You may apply to speak at the conference on different topics. Simply submit one application form with a unique abstract.

Can I apply to present at the conference?

Yes! Click "Present at Conference" and complete the application form.

I do not want to present, can I just attend the conference and be in a research environment?

Yes! Please complete the "Attend the Conference" form to secure a place at the event.

I wrote a paper for the Undergraduate eJournal, NovoVerse, can I present this work at the Conference?

Yes! All papers that are successfully published by NovoVerse can be presented at the Undergraduate Research Conference.  

I applied to Present, should I also apply to Attend?

Yes! Please complete the "Attend the Conference" form to secure a place at the event.

I do not want to present, can I make a poster?

Yes! Posters are welcome! Please complete the "Present at Conference" form and indicate in your title "Poster Title".

I am a recent Alumni, can I present?

Yes! Alumni are very welcome to present.

I want to present with my fellow student, can we present together?

Yes! Please submit one abstract with, both your names, please see the form has space for multiple presenters.

Do I need to write a paper or give a powerpoint presentation?

No! The conference format is “world café style”. This means that you have six minutes to share your research, as per your abstract, and four minutes for questions, ten minutes in total. The next speaker then has their ten minutes, and the third speaker has ten minutes. The remaining 20 minutes of the hour will be open to discussion at your round table. Once the bell rings, all conference participants are invited to stand and rotate to the next table.

I study biology, but I want to sit at the business table, is that ok?

Yes! The beauty of this conference is the multi-disciplinary presentations. You are free to rotate and sit at any of the disciplinary tables. In the afternoon there will be a shuffle hour, where each table will have at least three different disciplines presenting at each table – everyone gets a flavour of research methodologies and approaches from the different disciplines!

I didn’t write a paper this year, but I did a project last year, can I present this?

Yes, absolutely! You are welcome to present on anything from your academic life! Papers already written, projects previously submitted or works in progress are all welcome!

Does the abstract I submit need to be identical to the abstract that appears on the poster or I give in my talk?

Do try to keep them in the same spirit, minor changes are always expected!

 I haven’t done any research, so can I still participate?

Yes! You can come along and participate as an audience member, hear the presentations, and join in the questions and discussions. You can volunteer to assist the event at the welcome and registration desk, and with the behind the scenes organising.

Finally we want to stretch your understanding of research. If you have synthesised information for an exam question for example, that is research! This forms an important first step, the literature review. So you can participate as a speaker based on your undergraduate experience.

I don’t want to do a postgrad, so why would I want to present my research?

In your work and personal life, research and communication sills are vital.

Why Undergraduate Research?

Want to Read more about Undergraduate Research Conferences, and their academic value?

Here are some great papers to read:

Linn, M. C., Palmer, E., Baranger, A., Gerard, E., & Stone, E. (2015). Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities. Science, 347(6222), 1261757.

John, J and Creighton, J. (2011). Researcher development: The impact of undergraduate research opportunity programmes on students in the UK. Studies in Higher Education 36:7, pp.781-797.

Taraban, R and Logue, E. (2012) . Academic Factors that affect Undergraduate Research Experiences.  Journal of Educational Psychology. 104:2, pp.499-514.